I used to think that prioritizing my feelings, needs, and problems over those of other people was unfair and selfish. I thought that cherishing and taking care of other people meant that I had to put their needs continuously before my own. Consequently, I constantly felt stressed out, tired, and drained.

Yes, I always tried to be there for others. And I was always willing to sacrifice my own needs and happiness for the sake of my family and friends, including my relationships.

I was also working as an English teacher in a primary school and as a freelance translator, which often kept me up at night. At this stage in my life, sleeping for 7 or 8 hours a night was something I could only dream about.

I started feeling like I was losing my sense of self. I ignored my needs, desires, and wishes. I forgot what I really needed in life. I forgot how to enjoy life. I forgot the importance of self-care and self-love.

I lived my life focusing solely on pleasing and taking care of others, and of course, making money for about two and a half years until I was left with no choice but to put an end to this.

My physical and mental health began to fail. Catching a cold became something I had to endure a couple of times every season. And when I developed pneumonia, I finally understood the message my body had been sending to me. I finally understood that it was time for me to slow down.

I realized that it was time for me to take a step back and change my habits and interests in life. I realized I had to decide what my main priorities were in life.

I realized that unless I take care of myself and practice self-love every day, I’ll never be able to take care of others.

So, what does self-care mean?

Many people think that self-care is about feeling happy all the time, but we all know that such a thing is impossible. Pain and suffering are an inseparable part of life. Moreover, they’re something we need to experience so as to grow.

Self-care is about deepening your connection with yourself in order for you to understand how to meet your needs.

Self-care is about identifying and overcoming your deepest insecurities and fears. It’s about embracing your weaknesses and imperfections. It’s about accepting and cherishing yourself for who you are.

Self-care is about doing the things that make you feel happy and bring you a sense of fulfillment.

Self-care is about breaking yourself of bad, self-destructive habits and developing new and healthy ones.

Self-care is about finding your life purpose and living your life in ways that make it meaningful, fulfilling, and exciting.

Here are 21 tips on how you can practice self-care and keep the debilitating effects of exhaustion, burnout, and sickness at bay:

1. Get at least 8 hours of sleep a night.

2. Consume healthy food.

3. Walk in nature.

4. Exercise.

5. Love your body the way it is now. Don’t be ashamed of your imperfections.

6. Spend less time on social media.

7. Spend quality time with your loved ones.

8. Appreciate every good thing in your life and be grateful for all the experiences you’ve had in your life, both positive and negative.

9. Treat yourself with kindness, compassion, and patience.

10. Do not suppress your strong feelings. Instead, let them flow freely and accept them the way they are.

11. Write down all of the things you love about yourself.

12. Take up a hobby.

13. Listen to music you find soothing.

14. Meditate.

15. Do something creative. For example, draw or play an instrument (and don’t worry if you’re not very skilled at it) or get into something like model trains and model HO scale buildings, or learn how to code. The options are endless. Just let the creativity spark. 

16. Do something that fills your heart with joy.

17. Do something that you have always found scary and that you have always wanted to do.

18. Help someone without expecting anything in return.

19. Forgive the person that you’ve been holding a grudge against.

20. Focus on your own needs and priorities instead of prioritizing those of others over your own.

21. Love yourself.

It’s okay to seek help. Here are a few reasons why you should go to women’s therapy with what’s bothering you.

In any given year, 43.8 million adult Americans experience mental health issues and women experience them at a higher rate than men. Many women take on multiple roles in life, such as caretaker, breadwinner, and even therapist for their loved ones. So it should come as no surprise that life’s burdens can sometimes be too much.

But there’s no shame in seeking out therapy, as it can have many benefits for your mental well-being. Thankfully, it’s becoming less taboo and more widely accepted. If you’re wondering if you should do so yourself, below are 8 reasons to seek out women’s therapy.

1. Relationship Troubles

Almost all of us struggle with issues in relationships. Conflict is bound to arise when two people are involved and cohabitate. Perhaps you don’t want to air your dirty laundry to your friends and family or you just have no one to talk to besides your significant other.

Therapy can be highly beneficial since it makes you face difficult issues you may not want to address. It’ll let you take a good look at your relationship and see if it’s healthy or not. It can help in a decision of whether to stay together or break up.

2. Depression and/or Anxiety

A growing number of people are experiencing depression and anxiety, especially women. Many are told to soldier on through life and to just push through, but that may be harmful in the long run.

While some depression and anxiety may be part of normal human life, sometimes, it’s more than that. Whether it’s a chemical imbalance or stressful life events, we may need intervention from a therapist to get on the right track again.

By seeking therapy, you may be referred to a psychiatrist who can prescribe the right medications to help manage your mental health.

3. Addiction to Substances

There’s tremendous pressure on women to succeed, especially when in male-dominated workplaces. As a result, some may turn to substances like drugs and alcohol as an escape.

While these substances offer temporary relief, it’s just burying the issues at hand. Not only can therapy help you face these problems, but it can also be the first step in quitting your addictions and leading a healthier life.

4. Eating Disorders

Because of social media and regular media, there are some unrealistic expectations regarding women’s bodies. Many resort to unhealthy habits to try and attain the perfect body, according to society.

Whether a woman’s underweight because of anorexia or overweight because of binge eating, neither are good, both physically and mentally. Eating disorders can also be a form of addiction since it offers an escape from reality.

If you feel like you’re struggling from an unhealthy relationship with food, a therapist can help you get to the root of your issues and guide you through a healthier journey in life.

5. Abuse

Unfortunately, many women will encounter people who are abusive towards them, either physically, sexually, mentally, or financially. This abuse can come from a number of people in their lives, such as their parents, partner, friends, or coworkers.

Trying to deal with abuse on your own can lead to several other issues on this list, like depression, addiction, or eating disorders. Abuse is tough; exponentially so when it’s from someone you trust. It’s easy to spiral out of control on your own, so seek out therapy to get guidance from a trustworthy person.

6. Problems with Moods

Whether it’s fluctuating hormones or a struggle to effectively handle your emotions, your moods may sometimes be too much. Feeling your emotions is a completely normal thing, but if you feel like the world’s constantly crashing down on you, then therapy can be beneficial.

Depending on the severity of things, there may be a few courses of action. At the very least, you can talk out your moods with the therapist to get a better understanding of yourself. They can then assess whether or not you need to see a psychiatrist to get medications for any mood disorders.

7. Big Life Changes

Going through any kind of major life change can do a number on your mental health, even if it’s a positive change. This can be especially true if you like stability and regularity; anything that shakes up your routine can have a huge impact on your well-being.

Going to women’s therapy sessions can not only help provide some stability in your life, but you can also get some guidance as you make any type of major transition. Your therapist will teach you healthy ways to handle life events so the next ones won’t be so difficult to get through.

8. Neutral Third-Party Opinion

You don’t have to be experiencing any major life changes or issues in order to seek out women’s therapy. Even if you feel completely happy and healthy, it’s good to talk with a therapist, since they can give you tools to cope with anything that comes your way in the future.

They can also provide neutral third-party opinions for anything you wish to discuss, even if it’s something as simple as an argument with your significant other over who washes dishes. When you get an outside perspective on things, it can help you take a step back and see yourself in a different light.

By going to therapy, you can pave the way for tremendous personal growth and better relationships with everyone in your life.

Get Perspective and Help with Women’s Therapy

As you can see, there are many legitimate reasons to seek women’s therapy. There’s definitely more than 8 reasons; if you feel like you need help in any way, it’s good to book a session, even if your reason isn’t on our list. Life is tough to navigate, but with a good therapist by your side, it can be much easier to handle.

For more interesting articles, please check out our psychology section.

Let’s talk about laser hair removal. That dreamy goal of smooth skin every day, no awe about impromptu beach trips and no blushing denials of shaving in between appointments to your waxing technician. So, laser hair removal always seems to be one of the more misunderstood procedures. Will it work on blonde hair? Do I have to let the hair grow between appointments? With cutting edge equipment and technology in a boutique spa environment.                         

Missoula’s Aesthetics Medical Spa and Skin Care Center  is here to answer any of your questions. So here is some useful discussion to get you started on that road to the skin as smooth:

How Does It work?

When science can improve skin we get excited and it doesn’t get more exciting than a laser. In this connection, laser treatments can be a very effective solution. When it comes to hair removal, the laser passes over the skin and finds the pigment deep within the hair follicle called melanin. The laser heats the melanin and in turn, this damages the hair follicle.

Do You Have Light Hair?

Indeed, light-skinned, dark-haired people respond more successfully to laser hair elimination, however, that’s not to state that others will not see results. Aesthetic Medical Spa and Skin Care Center recommends an examination to extensively examine your alternatives as well as generate a therapy strategy that’s specific to you. They are experienced in dealing with people for hair removal with both reasonable and also dark complexion. It depends on our competent medical professionals to choose the best innovation for your skin type.

Contrary to other types of hair removal, the areas of the body with the thickest, coarsest hair respond the quickest and will usually require fewer treatments than areas with finer hair. This makes the bikini area, legs and underarms excellent candidates for laser hair removal and you can expect significant results within 6-8 treatments.

When Do You Need This?

You can have the treatment at any time, but we recommend not having a tan, so best to schedule your sessions before your beach vacation and not after. You should shave a day or so before each session so as not to leave singed hairs on the surface.

Does It Hurt?

It feels similar to a snap. Mind you, we can also prescribe a topical numbing area for sensitive areas and can use other patient comfort techniques to make the experience as painless as possible. But for every flick, think of the hundreds of waxing room ceilings you will never have to stare at ever again.

Having anxiety and depression at the same time means having this never-ending war in your head. It means living with two powerful sneaky demons fighting for control over you. And the sad thing is that neither of them ever wins or loses.

If you still find it hard to understand what it’s like living with depression and anxiety at the same time, then try to imagine what it’s like struggling with anxiety first:

Imagine constantly having racing thoughts.

Imagine constantly fearing that something bad or tragic might happen as soon as you leave your house.

Imagine having a panic attack at work or in a bar or restaurant and feeling like you can’t breathe, and you’re unable to do anything about it but just sit and wait for it to end since if you begin reacting to it, those around you will think you are being dramatic or disruptive.

Imagine constantly worrying about what other people think about you.

Imagine constantly trying to make other people like you.

Imagine feeling an overwhelming need to prove your worth since you think everyone around you thinks you’re weird and secretly hates you.

Now try to imagine what it’s like struggling with depression:

Imagine having no motivation to do anything, even to get up in the morning.

Imagine not believing in your own strength and qualities.

Imagine doubting your self-worth every single day.

Imagine not caring about anything at all because nothing seems important to you.

Imagine feeling like no one understands you.

Imagine thinking that you’re useless and worthless.

Now imagine what it’s like struggling with both at the same time.

Imagine having no motivation to get out of bed in the morning and at the same time worrying about all the things you have to do that day.

Imagine trying hard to succeed in life but all the while thinking that the time and energy you invest in your work and family don’t matter at all.

Imagine constantly worrying about your problems but feeling too exhausted to search for ways to solve them.

Imagine trying to make everyone like you but then thinking that there is no point in doing that.

Imagine listening to one voice telling you, “Do something about your condition! Talk about it to your family and friends.” And then listening to another one screaming at you, “Do not overreact! Stop complaining! Do not bother others with your problems! No one really cares about you anyway!”

Imagine feeling a strong desire to fight and live yet at the same time feeling a deep desire to give up.

Imagine living with those two opposing forces and doing your best to cope with both of them every single day.

Imagine doing everything in your power to prevent these two demons from making your life a living hell.

Imagine trying to be patient and gentle with yourself, believe in yourself, and gather the strength to conquer these two demons and move forward every single day.

This is what it’s like to live with depression and anxiety at the same time.